Featured Movers: 6/29/2012

Jul 5, 2012

KAREN KREJCHA

Local Autism Empowerment founder honored in New York City

The Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership (GRASP) recently honored Vancouver resident Karen Krejcha with the 2012 Distinguished Spectrumite Medal (DSM), a yearly worldwide award presented to adult individuals on the autism spectrum who have demonstrated special talent, competency, emotional strength and accountability throughout various areas of their lives.

Krejcha, executive director and co-founder of the Vancouver nonprofit Autism Empowerment, traveled with her husband to New York City to accept the award during a special ceremony last month.

She is the mother of two sons, Ryan and Justin, diagnosed with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome respectively. Not long after her sons were diagnosed in 2008, she came to the realization that she had been living for more than 40 years with undiagnosed Asperger’s. A diagnosis later confirmed her suspicions.

Krejcha has more than 13 years experience in sales and start-up ventures as co-owner of an internationally award-winning online retail business, Count Your Beans.

JEANNE FIRSTENBURG

Sterling Bank announced that Jeanne Firstenburg, Southwest Washington market president for Sterling Bank and former president and COO of First Independent Bank, has been selected to lead the newly-formed Sterling Advisory Board for Southwest Washington as First Independent transitions to Sterling Bank.

Board members will provide guidance on how Sterling can effectively invest in the communities of Southwest Washington and be a strategic financial partner helping local businesses grow and prosper as the economy continues to improve, the bank said.

The Vancouver Business Journal has been locally owned since 2004 and has been chronicling the Southwest Washington region for more than two decades. We’re all business – local business!
Contact us at 360.695.2442 or via Email